Big shots are headed to Stanford for Payton Jordan U.S. Open track
Big shots are headed to Stanford for Payton Jordan U.S. Open track
(May 26, 2004)

by Keith Peters

Christian Cantwell may not have the name recognition or the Olympic medals that John Godina and Adam Nelson posssess, but it may be just a matter of time before he does.

Cantwell is the current world leader in the men's shot put, off his breakthrough performance of 73 feet, 4 inches last Saturday at the Home Depot Invitational in Carson.

Cantwell reinforced his status as the top thrower in the world with his 11th-consecutive victory in the event. The Missouri grad achieved a remarkable feat by posting six legal throws past 70 feet, ranging from 70-4 1/2 to his world-leading 73-4. Only one other person, world recordholder Randy Barnes, is believed to have thrown six past 70 feet in the same series.

Cantwell will his continue his remarkable season next Monday at the Payton Jordan U.S. Open at Stanford's Cobb Track & Angell Field. He'll be joined by Godina, who placed third last weekend with a throw of 69-0 1/2 and Nelson, who threw 67-11 3/4. Also in the field will be Brad Snyder, Jamie Beyer and Tonyo Sylvester.

Maurice Greene, who ran a wind-aided 9.86 on Saturday to tie the fastest 2004 time in the 100 meters under any conditions, heads the men's 100 field for the Memorial Day meet at Stanford.

Melissa Morrison, who won the women's 100 hurdles at the Home Depot meet in a windy 12.44 to beat three-time Olympian Gail Devers, also will be at Stanford.

Stanford grad Toby Stevenson, who vaulted to the top of the 2004 world list with a 19-8 1/2 clearance three weeks ago and who won in Carson despite windy conditions, heads the men's vault field at Stanford.

The IAAF Grand Prix II meet, a stop on the USATF Golden Spike Tour, will feature many of the finest world and American athletes who'll be continuing their preparation for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

The women's long jump field includes defending national champion Grace Upshaw of Menlo Park, who ranked No. 5 in the world in 2003 with a best of 22-1. Upshaw leaped a wind-aided 22-5 at Home Depot.

Other featured athletes in the meet include American recordholder Suzy Powell in the women's discus; world junior recordholder Allyson Felix in the women's 200; Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson in the men's 110 high hurdles; and American recordholder Stacy Dragila in the women's pole vault.

The meet will be televised by ESPN2 and shown on a tape-delayed basis on Tuesday, June 1 from 6-7 p.m. (PDT). A free Youth Clinic will be held at the track beginning at 10 a.m. All the participants, 14 and under, will receive a general admission ticket.

The meet is named in honor of former Stanford track and field coach Payton Jordan, who brought the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials and the famed 1962 U.S.-U.S.S.R. track meet to Stanford.

Tickets for the Memorial Day event are $35 for reserved seating and $15 for general admission, and can be purchased by phone at 1-800-STANFORD or in person at Stanford Athletic Department Ticket Office, Gate 2, at Stanford Stadium.